Q. Good morning Rabbi Bartfeld,
Attached is the Daf Hakashrus with article on bracha on pringles.
Could you please clarify with Rav Miller what is the correct Bracha?
Thank you,
A. The article provided is from Rabbi Eli Gersten published on the Daf Hakashrus of June 2015. It addresses the proper bracha for Pringles and other such foods that are primarily made from potato flakes and potato flour
It mentions the following; “Rav Belsky, Shlita said, that originally Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l held that on potato flakes one should say Shehakol. When potatoes are turned into powder, they lose their status as a vegetable; therefore even after they are reconstituted they remain Shehakol. Rema (O.C. 202:7) explains that if a fruit or vegetable is pulverized to the point that it is no longer distinguishable, then it loses its bracha. Therefore, Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 208:8) says that the proper bracha to be said on corn or bean bread is Shehakol. Based on this psak the Daf HaKashrus (Vol. 22, No. 5, p.32) printed that the bracha on Pringles is Shehakol.
However, Rav Belsky more recently clarified, that in later years Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l reversed his position, and said that since reconstituted potato flakes are a common equivalent substitute for mashed potatoes, it is not considered as though they have lost their shape and form, and the bracha on reconstituted potato flakes remains Ha’adamah. Rav Elimelech Bluth,Shlita and Rav Reuven Feinstein, Shlita confirmed hearing this change of psak from Rav Moshe zt”l as well. Therefore, Pringles
though they are made from reconstituted potatoes, would be the same as though they were made from fresh mashed potatoes, and the proper bracha would be Ha’adamah.
However, it is worth noting that potato starch does not reconstitute back into a potato, and therefore products that are made from potato starch are Shehakol.”
It should be mentioned that Ohr Somayach in its Ask the Rabbi feature cites that Jerusalem's Rabbi Meir Bransdorfer, shlita, ruled that the bracha for Pringles is Shehakol. However, in Halachos of Brachos Rabbi Bodner writes, that Horav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l ruled that since Pringles have the appearance of a potato after they are made from the dehydrated potatoes, a hoadama should be made.
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit”a opinion is that the correct brocho for Pringles in indeed Hoadomo.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a
Pringles do not look like potatoes. I challenge anyone to cut a potato slice in the shape artificially constructed as a pringle. Are Corn Flakes made from reconstructed corn also HoAdomo. I believe R' Moshe Feinstein made that chiluk as well, between Corn Flakes that are just a compressed corn seed, or reconstituted corn, where the former is HoAdomo and the latter SheHakol. Did R' Moshe change his mind about that too?
Important Numbers
